210 students out at East Marion

Published: Monday, October 7, 2013 at 12:31 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, October 7, 2013 at 12:31 p.m.

LYNNE — A battle continues at East Marion Elementary School, where students have become sickened by an unknown type of enteric infection.

Facts

East Marion Outbreak

School officials hope the outbreak of an unknown enteric infection is beginning to subside. Below shows the days, number of students absent, and the percentage of the total school population.

Day......Absent*..Pct.Thursday...149....21.1Friday.....280....39.6Monday.....210....29.7*Includes those sent home.

The bad news is that 210 students — nearly 30 percent of the school population — were absent or sent home from school on Monday. The good news is that number is 25 percent less than Friday.

"We hope that it (absentees) peaked on Friday," said Kevin Christian, the school district's spokesman.

School officials do not know how many of the children who were absent were being kept home as a precaution.

The district knew something was wrong on Thursday when 115 children were absent and another 34 had to be sent home with some type of stomach and intestinal virus.

In all, 21.1 percent of the school enrollment was absent or had to be sent home on Thursday. The average absentee rate countywide is about 6 percent each school day.

Because of the high absentee rate, the district contacted the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, formerly the Marion County Health Department, to investigate.

Health officials identified the sickness as one of many types of enteric infections, said Craig Ackerman, Marion health department spokesman.

Ackerman said it will be later this week, or possibly even next week, before the agency will have identified the specific enteric infection.

An enteric infection is usually spread by contact and commonly spread when people do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom.

One example of an enteric infection is the norovirus, which is known mostly for its outbreaks on cruise ships.

Enteric infections can spread quickly via contaminated food or water, or by people touching contaminated surfaces.

A team of custodians wiped down every surface inside the school late Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The district has also been using special fogger-type decontamination devices to combat the virus.

The same tactics were used Monday. The district may repeat the tactics each day throughout the outbreak, Christian said.

Christian said that 210 students were absent or went home sick on Monday, down from 280 on Friday.

Among the 210 sick children on Monday, 15 students showed up at school with symptoms and were sent home, Christian said.

Christian noted a major problem is that "we still have sick children showing up at school."

Christian said East Marion Principal Rusty Corley sent an automated message to every student's home last week urging parents to keep sick children at home. Health officials say students should be kept home until after the last symptom has vanished.

"People can still be contagious after they no longer have symptoms," said Amy Reilly, who supervises communicable disease prevention programs for the local health agency. "People need to wait at least 24 hours after the last of the symptoms pass before going back to school or work."

No food was prepared in East Marion's cafeteria on Monday. Bagged lunches were provided from another school and all fresh fruit was individually wrapped.

"Sometimes people may also have a low-grade fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, and an overall feeling of being tired," the release stated.

Enteric infections enter the body through the mouth and intestinal tract and are usually spread through contaminated food and water or by contact with vomit or feces.

"Wash your hands, and wash them well," said Reilly. "Soap up and wash for about 20 seconds, about the time it takes to sing the happy birthday song twice."

Reilly noted that such hand-washing should be completed after using the restroom and just before eating. Help children wash their hands, as they likely won't be as thorough.

Christian said it is important that parents abide by the mandate because children can catch the enteric infection more than once.

The virus spreads rapidly and dies out within 48-72 hours. For students and staff who are at school, officials are also urging students and staff to wash hands often, use hand sanitizer regularly and cover their mouth when coughing.

Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com. Follow him Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

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